It’s official – this year’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is set to be the biggest yet. The RSVPs are in, and international fashionistas are set to make up a big chunk of the event’s guest list from April 12-16.
“Australia is one of the hottest creative industries at the moment, generating huge interest from international media and retailers wanting to attend Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia,” said Emily Weight, director of strategy at IMG Fashion, in a news release.
“Now more than ever, members of the global fashion industry are looking for a unique product to set them apart from other boutiques and retailers, and they see the Australian designer collections as a key offering to their customer base,” she continued.
This is the kind of turn out which could really put Aussie fashion on the map, and deservingly so. Leading e-tailers Net-a-Porter, Shopbop, Farfetch, mytheresa.com, Anthropologie, Asos, Avenue 32, Forward, Goop, Les Galeries Lafayette, LN-CC, Luisa Via Roma and Revolve Clothing are all making an appearance for the event’s 20th anniversary, giving home-grown designers invaluable stockist opportunities.
Shopbop buyer Jenny Fuchs said in a news release, “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia is a key event for Shopbop. It affords us the opportunity to work closely with new and existing Australian designers and to see firsthand how the Australian fashion customer is reacting to and interpreting trends into her wardrobe.”
As for the publicity side of things, major US glossies like Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan and W, plus PORTER, Buro 24/7 and The Coveteur, could potentially give our labels press coverage like never before if they like what they see.
“It seems only yesterday I was styling the Wayne Cooper show when Australian Fashion Week first launched, so it’s exciting for me to be coming back twenty years later as a guest,” Gabriele Hackworthy, fashion director of PORTER, said in a news release.
“As a proud Australian, I’ve enjoyed watching this country’s style develop and grow on the global stage over the years and I applaud MBFWA — one of the premiere events for spotting new talent — for shining a spotlight on Australian designers and rising stars in the fashion world,” Gabrielle continued.
In addition to the editors and buyers, global fashion influencer Vanessa Hong of The Haute Pursuit will attend the event for the first time, and street style photographers Lee Oliveira and Phil Oh will also be in Sydney to capture all the trends both on and off the runway.
Check out the full MBFWA 2015 schedule here.
